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2013 NFL Draft: Syracuse Quarterback Ryan Nassib

February 4th, 2013 at 7:59 PM By Donald Lappe

Ryan Nassib is one of the latest risers in the 2013 NFL Draft, with the quarterback from Syracuse challenging for one of the top spots on this year's list of quarterbacks in the 2013 NFL Draft. Many went to the Senior Bowl expecting Ryan Nassib to continue rising, but his performances left his stock in a holding pattern. There are still some questions, but there is a chance that Ryan Nassib could be drafted in round one of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Ryan Nassib stands at 6-2, 223, a senior from Syracuse. His intelligence and accuracy on short passes have endeared him to NFL scouts, but his performances at the Senior Bowl left something to be desired. While Ryan Nassib showed good accuracy when throwing the ball short, his inability to connect on deep passes exposed perhaps his biggest flaw: touch and accuracy on his deep passes.

How much arm strength matters depends on how you evaluate your quarterbacks. If you fall in line with Washington State head coach Mike Leach, arm strength falls around sixth on the list of importance when evaluating a quarterback. If you listen to Phil Simms, as he gushed over Colin Kaepernick during the Super Bowl, arm strength is much more important than that. There are examples of rocket arm quarterback failing and pop gun quarterbacks excelling. However, in the first round, you're looking for a player with all of the tools. Ryan Nassib has good arm strength, but his consistent misfires throughout the week of practices at the Senior Bowl could make some teams wary of his ability to throw into tight windows in the NFL – and leave him on the board past the first round.

Ryan Nassib seems to do a lot of things well, but doesn't do anything exceptionally. His senior season stats look pedestrian compared to Geno Smith (26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as opposed to 42 touchdowns and six interceptions). Nassib wasn't surrounded by similar offensive talent, but he didn't face the stiffest competition in the Big East. He has also shown a tendency to force throws and is inconsistent with making his reads. His footwork needs to be more consistent, which is a big reason why he is inconsistent throwing the deep ball.

In the end, Ryan Nassib seems like a very average quarterback in the NFL. That will probably slot him at fifth or sixth on the list in the 2013 NFL Draft, which should put him in the second round. At that point, he's worth taking and molding into a professional quarterback.